September 4, 2024
Suicide is a serious public health issue that affects countless Canadians. Suicide can be prevented and there is a role that we can each take to help make this possible.
June 21, 2024
On Wednesday June 12th, the Growing With Grief community came together for our annual Father’s Day event. Bereaved families joined in to honour and remember a father, step-father, or father figure that has died. Families created “Memory Gardens” by planting notes for their person in the soil. They decorated the pot and added a vine to the soil together with their memories and feelings. Tending to the plant can symbolize nurturing one’s connection to the person who died and can be a way of caring for yourself on your grief journey. This event invited families to be with their grief […]
May 14, 2024
On Wednesday May 8th the Growing with Grief program hosted a Mother’s Day event for families who have experienced the death of a mother, step-mother, or caregiver. Our goal with this event was to create a space for families to engage with their grief and explore within themselves, and as a family how they wanted to approach this day at this particular time in their grief journey. Families were invited to create “Memory Gardens” where they planted memories, notes, and special words for their person in the soil with the plant. Families decorated plant pots and added a vine to […]
May 7, 2024
Did you know that May 6th through 12th is Children’s Mental Health Week, and May 7th is National Child and Youth Mental Health Day? At Yorktown Family Services, we are committed to providing support and resources to, children, youth, and families in need in Toronto. We’ve been serving clients for over 30 years! #CMHW2024 is crucial for us, as we come together with our partners at Children’s Mental Health Ontario to recognize the importance of the mental health and well-being needs of young people. Yorktown’s clients range from young adults (60% between ages 18-29), youth (30% between age 12-18) and children, under 12. Sixty-five […]
April 24, 2024
For grieving people, special days like Mother’s Day can be difficult, bringing feelings of grief to the surface for the whole family. Grief is dynamic and changes over time. Some years we may want to acknowledge the occasion, be with others, and share memories. Other years we may want to avoid it altogether, as it may feel too painful or complicated. And sometimes it may feel hard to determine what will feel right. Even though special days on the calendar can feel difficult, they also serve as important opportunities to check in with yourself and your family to see what […]
April 9, 2024
The West Toronto Youth Wellness Hub provides young people with an inclusive, welcoming space where they can walk-in and access a full range of Integrated Youth Services (IYS). These services include mental health and substance use health supports, primary health care and social services, all while creating connections through recreational, skill development and well-being programs. Yorktown Family Services West Toronto Youth Wellness Hub partners include: Access Alliance Children’s Aid Society Toronto Garrison Creek- Family Health Team Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Humber River Health Jane and Finch Centre Macaulay Child Development Centre Unison Health and Community Services We are very […]
January 31, 2024
Yorktown Family Services, dedicated to addressing mental health and social wellness needs in marginalized communities, proudly recognizes the Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation for its exceptional support. Gordon Sproule, President of the Gordon & Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation’s objective is to continue to advance the legacy of its founders’ mission which is to help improve the lives of youth at risk, notably those who are disadvantaged due to their economic and/or social circumstances, or who are experiencing physical challenges. Generous gifts of $100,000 in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 from the Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation have been instrumental […]
January 30, 2024
“The West Toronto Youth Wellness Hub provides youth and their families with an inclusive, welcoming space where they can walk in and seamlessly access a full range of integrated, barrier-free services through multidisciplinary providers. The West Toronto Youth Hub is uniquely positioned within a Community Health Centre at Unison to provide mental health and substance use supports, primary health care and more, all while fostering social connections through skill development and well-being programs.” – Suzette Arruda-Santos Chief Executive Officer, Yorktown Family Services New Youth Wellness Hub providing support closer to home The Ontario government is making it faster and […]
January 24, 2024
On January 18th, 2024, MPP Michael Ford and MPP Robin Martin were at the West Toronto Youth Wellness Hub at Jane and Trethewey to hear how a $150,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant awarded to the Yorktown Family Services (YFS) in 2022 has made an impact. The grant, awarded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, has enabled YFS to modernize its technology infrastructure and support its commitment to cultural competency, including the implementation of a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Council that will create and incorporate an action plan for Yorktown Family Services. […]
December 15, 2023
The holiday season is often synonymous with joy and celebration, but for families coping with grief, this time of year can be particularly challenging. Yorktown’s Growing With Grief program hosted a family Winter Break Scrapbooking Event for young people ages 0-29 and their families who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or custodial caregiver to offer a tangible and visual platform for individuals to express their feelings and memories.